Monday, November 5, 2018

Before New York City's Mandarin duck, there was Burnaby's
Before a Mandarin duck in New York City gained international recognition
this week, another duck of the same plumage had already made several
low-key appearances in Burnaby over the past six months. Mandarin ducks
are renowned for their dazzling multicoloured feathers and regarded by
some as the world's most beautiful bird. They're also native to East
Asia, which is why bird watchers were gobsmacked when one was spotted in
Manhattan's Central Park in early October. Alex Migdal reports. (CBC)
See also: A Mandarin Duck Mysteriously Appears in Central Park, to Birders’ Delight Julie Jacobs reports. (NY Times)

Federal government rejects emergency order to protect killer whales
The federal government has declined to issue an emergency order under
the Species at Risk Act that would further protect the endangered killer
whales off British Columbia's coast. An order-in-council issued
Thursday said the government has already taken several measures to
ensure the recovery of the southern resident killer whales. Fisheries
Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said in a statement Friday that the
government "carefully weighed various options" to protect the whales,
and it does not believe an emergency order would be helpful. (Canadian
Press)

Comment on the Draft Resource Management Plan for the San Juan Islands National Monument
The BLM is currently developing a Resource Management Plan for the
Monument which will guide their stewardship of these lands for the next
15-20 years. You can provide input for that plan during a public comment
period ending January 3rd, 2019. Islanders for the San Juan Islands
National Monument has provided guides to help with key issues and
comments for the Draft Plan. Public meeting are being held this week to
kick off the process:
Nov 5 - 6:00-8:00 PM, Woodman Hall, 4102 Fisherman Bay Rd, Lopez Island
Nov 6 - 6:00-8:00 PM, San Juan Island Grange, 152 1st St N, Friday Harbor, San Juan Island
Nov 7 - 6:00-8:00 PM, Orcas Island Library, 500 Rose St, Eastsound, Orcas Island
Nov 8 - 6:00-8:00 PM, Squalicum Boathouse, 2600 N Harbor Loop Dr, Bellingham
Nov 9 - 6:00-8:00 PM, Anacortes Library, 1220 10th St, Anacortes.

Supreme Court won't block children's climate change lawsuit
The Supreme Court rejected the Trump administration's request Friday to
stop a lawsuit brought by youths who are seeking to hold the government
accountable for failing to do enough to fight climate change. The
administration had asked the court to halt the lawsuit, saying it was
"misguided" and a "radical invasion of the separation of powers." In its
unsigned order, the court said the administration had not reached the
high bar necessary to halt the lawsuit for now. But the justices
suggested that the government might be able to seek relief at the 9th US
Circuit Court of Appeals at a later stage of the litigation. The vote
total was not released, Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch said
they would have ruled in favor of the administration.... The challengers
argued that by neglecting to properly address climate change, the
government is depriving them of rights to life, liberty and property
while also failing to protect essential resources. A district court had
allowed the case to go to trial on October 29, but that date was put on
hold after Chief Justice John Roberts issued a temporary stay. Lawyers
for the youths originally brought the case under the Obama
administration and are asking the court to order the executive branch to
prepare a remedial plan to phase out fossil fuel emissions. Ariane de
Vogue reports. (CNN)

Sea stars still wasting away in B.C. waters
Reports that the sea star population was rebounding after a bout of
wasting disease appear to have been overly optimistic, says a new report
from the Coastal Ocean Research Institute. The Vancouver Aquarium’s
research group believes the wasting disease that first attacked the sea
star population in 2013 is continuing, with several species still in
decline. “The current status of sea stars varies widely by species and
location,” writes report author Jessica Schultz. “Although there are
anecdotal reports of recovery, the frequency of sea star sightings
continues to decline for many species, and signs of wasting persist. At
the same time, sea star distribution is increasingly patchy and
abundance is quite variable.” The die-off, which might be the largest
wildlife die-off event in recorded history according to the report, has
hurt the health of other species. For example, in the absence of
predator sea stars, sea urchins have been gobbling up the kelp beds that
provide food, oxygen and cover for a host of other species, including
fish and prawns. The report also mentions an “unusual boom” in juvenile
sea stars of several species in 2014 and 2015. Glenda Luymes reports.
(Vancouver Sun)

Dam demolition would let Pilchuck River run free
A clear curtain of water falls onto river rock, dropping about the
height of a one-story building. Few people know about this modest dam
along the Pilchuck River, a few miles southeast of Granite Falls. Until
early last year, it performed an important function: diverting drinking
water for part of Snohomish. Since the city stopped using that water
source, the dam no longer serves a practical purpose. Now, it just
blocks fish from heading upstream and drains city money. If a project
with the Tulalip Tribes moves forward, this century-old impediment won’t
be around much longer. Plans call for demolishing the 60-foot-wide
concrete dam by fall of 2020. That would reopen stretches of the
Pilchuck and its tributaries to spawning fish, notably to steelhead and
salmon species whose populations have dwindled. More fish could benefit
Puget Sound’s endangered southern resident orcas. Noah Haglund reports.
(Everett Herald)

New device lets you listen to Puget Sound orcas in real time
A new device is allowing you to listen to southern resident orcas as
they make their way back into Puget Sound. There isn't much activity
right now, but the season is just beginning. The sound is coming from a
new hydrophone the Orca Network just installed at Bush Point on the west
side of Whidbey Island. In the fall and early winter, orcas spend a lot
of their time feeding on salmon in Puget Sound. You can listen for
yourself at Live.Orcasound.net (KOMO)

Day of the Dead ~ 9th Annual Tribute
Monika Wieland Shields in Orca Watcher writes: "The Mexican holiday Dia
de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is about honoring those who have passed
on - every year, I take a moment on this day to remember the Southern
Residents we have lost in the previous year....Over the years these
posts have gotten harder to write, as the population continues to
decline. But now more than ever, as we continue to fight for the
survival and recovery of the Southern Residents, it's important not to
forget the stories of the whales we have lost along the way...."

Not-so-wild world: Canada one of five countries holding remaining majority of wilderness
The world is rapidly becoming less wild according to a groundbreaking
study published this week, co-authored by a Prince George ecosystem
professor. The Wildlife Conservation Society reported that 70 per cent
of the world's wilderness is located in just five countries. Of those
five, Canada holds the second-largest area of wilderness after Russia.
According to the study published in Nature, Australia, the U.S., Brazil,
Russia and Canada are the five countries that hold the majority of the
world's remaining wilderness. Anna Dimoff reports. (CBC)

Trump Administration Spares Corporate Wrongdoers Billions in Penalties
In the final months of the Obama administration, Walmart was under
pressure from federal officials to pay nearly $1 billion and accept a
guilty plea to resolve a foreign bribery investigation. Barclays faced
demands that it pay nearly $7 billion to settle civil claims that it had
sold toxic mortgage investments that helped fuel the 2008 financial
crisis, and the Royal Bank of Scotland was ensnared in a criminal
investigation over its role in the crisis. The three corporate giants
complained that the Obama administration was being unreasonable and
stood their ground, according to people briefed on the investigations.
After President Trump took office, they looked to his administration for
a more sympathetic ear — and got one. Ben Protess, Robert Gebeloff and
Danielle Ivory report. (NY Times)

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT

TODAY
W wind 5 to 15 kt becoming 10 to 20 kt in the afternoon.
Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 10 ft at 12 seconds. A chance of
showers in the morning then a slight chance of showers in the
afternoon.

TONIGHT
W wind 10 to 20 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt after midnight.
Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 10 ft at 14 seconds. A chance of
showers in the evening then a slight chance of showers after
midnight.

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Salish Sea Communications provides communications and public relations services that raise visibility and engage audiences. Drawing on over 30 years experience in private, public and not-for-profit work, Mike Sato brings to you his skills and insights in developing and carrying out your print, electronic and social media projects and products. "I've been in the communications business since 1977 starting with community weekly newspapers then working for Seattle City Light, the Puget Sound Water Quality Authority, Hawaiian Electric Company and, for 20 years, People For Puget Sound." Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told. WA State UBI #601395482